benster



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. G. BENSTER.

'WINDMILL.

No. 336,784. Patented Feb. 23, 1886.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

I w BY film ATTORNEYS.

N. PEYERS. Mouflwgnpher. Wm B. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA G. BENSTEB, ()F DUNCAN, NEBRASKA.

'WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,784, dated February 23, 1886.

Application filed March 22, i884.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSHUA G. BENSTER,0f Duncan, in the county of Platte and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in WVindmills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to solid vertical-wheel windmills; and the invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved windmill, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the motion-converting device, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views.

A indicates a tower, which may be formed of four timbers connected together at the upper ends by an annular plate, B, which forms a bearing for a rotary mast, O, which is supported in a socket, D, at its lower end. The mast is made in two pieces, 0 c, which are pivoted together at c at one side of their longitudinal center'in such manner as to form a knee-joint. The pieces 0 c are pivoted together at one side of their longitudinal cen ter to cause the upper piece, 0, always to incline from a perpendicular, more or less, according to circumstances, as hereinafter eX- plained.

The wheel-hub E is loosely mounted on an axle, F, consisting of a pin inserted through the upper end of the piece 0 of the mast, and which may be secured by a nut. To prevent the weight of the wheel from deflecting the piece 0 downward, a cord, G, is attached to the lower end of said piece and carried over a sheave, H, supported in the piece 0, and is strung through a series of weights,I, arranged one above another, and is secured to the last one of the series. The weights are made cylindrical in form, and are provided with circular flanges i at their upper ends, by which they, except the lowest weight, may be supported in annular supports J, attached to the piece 0, to suspend their action on the cord when the wind is not strong enough to deflect the piece 0 downward. In the latter case the bottom weight I, which alone acts upon the cord, will be sufficient to hold the. piece 0 erect; but when the force of the wind amounts Serial No. 125,158. (No model.)

to a gale the resistance of the bottom weight V will be overcome, and said weight will be drawn up until it comes in contact with the until the piece 0' is sufficiently deflected to act as a vane and cause the mast to rotate to bring the plane of the wheel in alignment with the direction of the wind. Then the force of the gale subsides, the weights, being all supported on the cord G, will cause the piece 0 to resume its upright position, and the force of an ordinary wind will then cause the wheel to face the wind in position for being rotated thereby.

The wheel-hub E is provided with a chainpulley, K, and this pulley is connected by an endless chain, L, with a chaiupulley, M, supported in the lower end of the mast. This chain is guided over the upper or front side of the knee-j0int by a chain-pulley, N, supported in piece 0, and over the under or rear side of the knee-joint by a roller, 0, attached to piece a, between which roller and piece 0' the chain is arranged. The axle of the pulley M in the lower end of the mast is provided with a crank, P, having a roller, 1), thereon, which roller is arranged between two parallel annular guide-plates, p 12", whichjnclose the lower end of the mast, and are attached to two arms, 1), which are trunnioned in two of the timbers of the tower.

\Vith this construction, as the wind-wheel revolves and the chain L is set in motion, the crank P will be rotated, and its contact by roller 19 with the plates p 19' will cause-the arms 1) to oscillate on their trunnions, giving a reciprocatory motion to the pump-rod Q, at tached to the lower plate, 1)". Arotary motion may be obtained from'the axle of the chain-pulley M, yet to be described.

R indicates a circular table, having its periphery loosely supported in recesses r, formed in the four timbers of the tower, and having a central opening for the mast. On opposite sides of said opening are cleats r and keys r, by which the table may be secured to the mast, so as to be able to rotate therewith. Just above the table is the said chain-pulley M,

with which the chain L engages, said pulley being supported on a shaft passing through the mast.

The object of the table and pulley M is to utilize the mill for driving small machines such as churns, grindstones, or other devices requiring a rotary motionthe rotary table serving to carry the machine around with the mast under varying conditions of the wind, so

r as not to allow the relations of the machine and the axle of the pulley M to be disturbed by such shifting of the wind.

The wind-wheel consists of the hub E, having sockets c for the blades 6 and a flange or disk, 6', to which the blades are bolted, and the blades are braced by the hoops 6 passing through the blades, and the hoops 6 secured to the edges of the blades. The blades, being solid, may be used without additional sails, or

\40 sails may be secured to the hoops between the blades, if desired.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a windmill, the rotary mast having a kneejoint thereon at one side of its longitudinal center, in combination with the endless chain and the chain-pulleys supported at the upper and lower ends of themast, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a windmill, the rotary mast having a 0 knee-joint therein, the pivot of whichjoint is located to one side of the longitudinal center of the mast, to cause the upper part of the mast to incline slightly from a perpendicular, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a windmill, the rotary mast having a knee-joint therein, and having its upper part, c, slightly inclined from a perpendicular, in combination with one or more weights attached to the lower end of said part c, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a windmill, the rotary mast having a knee-joint therein, and havingits upper part, c, slightly inclined from a perpendicular, in combination with a series of weights, a cord on which said weights are strung, and to which the lowest weight is secured, and supports attached to the mast and adapted to support the loose weights when the mast is erect, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a windmill, the rotary mast having a knee-joint therein, and having a pin passed through its upper end to form an axle for the wind-wheel, in combination with the wheel hub having the chain-pulley secured thereto, the endless chain, the guide-pulleys on opposite sides of the knee-joint, and the chainpulley at the lower end of the mast, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a windmill, the combination of the rotary mast, the chain-pulley supported at the lower end of the mast and mounted on aorankaxle having a roller on the crank,the annular guide-plates for said roller, and the oscillatory arms supporting said plates, substantially as shown and described, whereby the rotary motion of the crank shall be converted into a reciprocatory motion for operating a pump-rod, as specified.

.7. In a windmill, the combination of the rotary mast, a crank or equivalent device supported in the mast, and means for operating the same, and a pivoted annular guide forthe crank, substantially as shown and described, whereby the crank may be carried around with the mast, and the said pivoted annular guides may be continuously oscillated or reciprocated at the same time.

8. The wheel consisting of the hub E, having flange e ,the blades 0, bolted to theflange, and the brace-hoops e, the hoops e passing through the blades, and the hoops 6* secured to the edges of the same,substantially as shown and described.

9. In a windmill, the combination, with a supporting-frame, a rotary mast, and means for imparting a reciprocating motion to a pump-rod from the mast, of a table arranged above thepump-rod-operating mechanism and detachably connected to said mast,and a chainpulley journaled in the, mast above the table,

substantially as herein shown and described.

JOSHUA G. BENSTER.

W'itnesses:

J.'R. DIEAGHER, R. R. SUTHERLAND. 

